Montserrat’s PRIME Expo Celebrates Five Years, Eyes Regional Growth

The fifth annual PRIME-produced Montserrat Expo took place July 26 and 27 at the Cultural Centre, showcasing the island’s vibrant and growing business community. The event drew a strong turnout, including government officials, entrepreneurs, and local businesses aiming to expand beyond the island’s borders.

Jerson Badal, the newly appointed Director of Business, Trade and Investment, addressed the attendees with a clear vision to elevate Montserrat’s private sector. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Badal acknowledged the island’s entrepreneurial spirit but stressed the need to transform part-time ventures into fully developed businesses capable of competing regionally and internationally.

“I’m still new here, just two months in, but one thing is clear: almost everyone has a business, whether a cleaner, a clerical officer, or a minister,” Badal said. “That means the business culture here is thriving, even if a bit isolated.”

The former Director of Client Management at Export Saint Lucia praised the milestone of five successful years for PRIME, calling it “a phenomenal accomplishment for a small economy,” and outlined plans to leverage the expo as a platform to connect Montserrat’s products to regional markets within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and CARICOM.

One promising export opportunity identified was Montserrat’s castor oil, which has gained strong demand internationally, particularly from the Jamaican diaspora. Badal revealed that his office has already received overseas interest in just two months. He said producers have expressed the need for more land to grow the plants to meet demand.

However, Badal was candid about the challenges local producers face, highlighting packaging and labelling as major hurdles to entering wider markets. “Packaging costs here are very high,” he said, noting efforts underway to provide support for affordable, compliant packaging solutions that meet export standards.

A new feature of this year’s expo was the participation of local supermarkets and distributors, who were given guided tours to assess shelf-ready products. This initiative aims to help local businesses get their goods onto retail shelves in Montserrat, moving beyond informal sales through home, social media, or WhatsApp channels.

“We see many businesses still selling directly from their homes with no distributors or retail presence,” Badal said. “Our goal is to help these businesses grow, become export-ready, and compete sustainably.”

Badal emphasised that private sector development is not just about starting businesses but creating enterprises that can scale, compete, and succeed consistently.

The director said he and his team are committed to working closely with businesses, gathering their stories and goals to tailor support and help guide them through the export process.

“This is only the beginning,” Badal said. “We want to help transform Montserrat’s business landscape so that local products reach markets beyond the island and continue growing.”